Puerto Rico 2002
by Stargategeek
Summary: A 16 year old Ashley Magnus travels to Puerto Rico to save her mother from the clutches of a dutch druglord who plans to brainwash her into being his seventh wife. She is aided by a mysterious stranger claiming to be an old friend of her mothers.
1. Chapter 1

_**~~~~Puerto Rico 2002~~~~**_

_**Chapter 1 – Fateful Meeting**_

Ashley Magnus sat in the back of the taxi clutching her bag to her. She stared out of the taxi window, her eyes scanning the passing building, market places, and pedestrians around her.

She had never been on her own before, not like this, not with so much at stake.

She was not overly nervous, as a 16 year old, her childhood couldn't exactly be considered normal; she had been around the stuff of nightmares since she was old enough to walk. Her mother had taken her to the most dangerous regions of Mumbai when she was 12. As a birthday present when she turned 14 she had gotten her own gun. But this was the first time she was on her own, really, and it was her mother that needed saving.

That was why she was riding a taxi in the middle of downtown Puerto Rico.

Her mother, Helen Magnus, had taken a solo trip down to Puerto Rico to meet a supposed collector of _Abnormal Treasures_, and he had asked, specifically, for Helen to meet with him. She had not been heard from since. The hotel she was staying at said she had left for a lunch meeting and had never returned, her chauffer said they met at a neutral location where she had entered a car and drove off, and all of the morgues in the state denied holding any bodies fitting her description.

The Sanctuary had gotten a tip off 3 days later from a contact that her mother was being held captive and she nearly ran out of the Sanctuary life a freed jailbird.

The same contact gave her the address of someone, in Puerto Rico, that was a supposed old friend of her mother, a Javor Dragoslav. He was going to help her retrieve her mother from where ever she was.

The name brought up no results in the database, in fact there were no legal records of a Javor Dragoslav in any database, so this 'friend' of her mothers was almost to sketchy too risk it. Big Guy, her self-proclaimed protector forbade her from pursuing the lead.

But she had, and she was prepared for the worst.

Henry, since he was 19 and had his driver's license, became her accomplice in the mission, and was keeping Big Guy out of the loop as best as he could as she snuck down to Puerto Rico.

Whatever psycho had her mother, she was going to find him.

The cab stopped in front of a nice hotel, beach side and she paid him while scooting out of the taxi, her bag, backpack, and gun in hand. She double-checked the address and then went inside the air-conditioned building.

Ashley walked cautiously over to the main desk.

"Hello miss, can I help you?" asked the manager with a smile.

"Um, yes, I'm looking for someone, he's supposed to be staying here, a Javor Dragoslav," she showed him the scrap of paper she had written the name on.

He looked at it.

"Yes, Mr. Dragoslav is here. May I ask who you are?" said the manager.

"I'm a daughter of an old friend of his," she said and he nodded walking out from behind the desk and waving her to follow him to the outdoor, beach front bar.

He stopped her near the entrance and went off, weaving throught the tables, chairs, and patrons. She examined all the men, and women, luxuriating in the shade of the bar's canopy. There was a group of hefty businessmen sitting, drinking scotch and martinis, a very tanned woman clad in a very small bikini sipping a cocktail and flirting with the bartender, a couple on their honeymoon making moon eyes at each other, and a lone man, in the back, his face hidden by the days newspaper, a glass of red wine on the table in front of him.

The manager walked straight over to him and whispered into his ear.

The man nodded his head and the manager bowed then came back to her.

"Come this way, he says he's been expecting you," Ashley looked at the man suspiciously but followed anyway.

"Madame meet Javor Dragoslav," said the manager politely before taking his leave.

The stranger put down the newspaper and looked at her with very inquisitive blue-grey eyes. She looked back at him with just as much scrutiny.

"You look just like her, you know," he said finally, retrieving his wine glass and sipping it.

"And who's that?" she said, still gazing at him.

"Your mother, Dr. Helen Magnus, of course, I couldn't mistake it," he gave her a cheeky grin.

"For a guy named Javor you don't have much of an accent," Ashley observed him.

He was peculiar, unlike the other bikini and speedo clad Hawaiian-shirt-wearing tourists sitting on the same beach as him, he was dressed in a crisp white cotton shirt and dark dress pants with a black vest unbuttoned. His hair was a dark brown with a cowlick at the front, and for someone vacationing in such a beautiful location his face was cleanly shaven, she could smell the aftershave; he looked like he had just gotten back from a huge business meeting and hadn't cared to change into his beachwear.

"Well when you travel enough, my dear, you tend to lose your accent," he said with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"You know my mother then?" she said changing the subject.

"Yes, we are very old friends," he said calling over the waitress.

"You can't be more than your late 30's," Ashley scoffed.

"Yes, well, like your mother, I'm not as young as I look, chalk it up to health and a good moisturizer," he smiles at the waitress. "Another wine for me Isabella, and a sangria for the girl?" he looked at her with a big cheeky grin, and Ashley felt the incessant urge to slap him.

"Just water, please," said Ashley, glaring at the man.

The waitress nodded and walked away.

"Conservative, so very Helen, I like it," he leered at her and she crossed her arms at him.

"You said you know where my mother is?" she asked, growing impatient with him.

"Yes, she has found herself in the hands of local drug overlord Richter Von Hagen, and if you're thinking he sounds like a rich pasty white fat man, you couldn't be more right, he's just as fat as he is ugly and he's responsible for a certain drug cartel in these parts, selling exclusively to abnormals. Why? Who knows, he's kinky that way," Javor slides a picture across the table to her.

He was indeed in need of a diet.

"What does he want with her?" she asked.

"He wants her, that's the problem, aside from being an unsightly overweight and unattractive man, he is also delusional, he wants gold, power, and beautiful women, my sources tell me that she is being brainwashed into being his little harem girl," the waitress comes over with their drinks and sets them on the table.

"So you're saying Fat Albert is trying to turn my mom into his own personal stripper," Ashley asks incredulously.

"Yes, believe it or not, you can't deny his good taste," Javor smirked again.

"Why would he do that?" she glares at him.

"For power, for control over the Sanctuary Network, I don't know, maybe he just wants a really good lap dance, all I know is that he's not going to get it from Helen, not if I can help it," Javor took a swig of his wine.

"And why do you care so much? I don't even know if my mom actually knows you, let alone trusts you, what is your proof?" she glared at him coldly and he let out a sigh.

"I thought you were going to ask me that eventually," he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a worn old picture and showed it to her.

She looked at the photo intently.

"Where is this?" she lifted it up to look at it more closely.

"London, 1938, I was riding out the depression for a few months, I was in quite a lot of debt at the time, she and I were very good friends back then, this was before World War II, we'd actually known each other a long time, shared lots together, we had that taken at a small fair just out of town, the night before I went back to America," he smiled fondly at the memory.

"Was that the last time you saw her?" asked Ashley, they seemed so happy in the photo, she could just imagine her mother's laugh.

"No, I saw her a few years later, we had a bitter reunion, I had done something she wasn't quite happy with, we haven't spoken since, regrettably," he looked down sadly.

"A-are you-"

"No, I'm not," he interrupted her, as if her had read her mind. "Just a friend is all I am, nothing more."

She sighed and handed the photo back to him.

"You care for her though, don't you?" she looked directly into his eyes.

"Yes, very much," he had sincerity in his eyes and in that moment Ashley decided to trust him.

"What's your plan?" she looked at him and he smiled his irritating smile again.

"I'll tell you, but first you must promise me one thing," he leaned closer to her, his elbows resting on the table.

"What?" she leaned in as well.

"You mustn't tell Helen I was ever apart of it…"

Ashley looked into his grey-blue eyes then nodded.

"Ok."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2 – Family Vacation**_

Ashley followed Javor Dragoslav back into the hotel, her senses still on high alert.

Even though she had looked into his eyes and saw honesty, and believed that he really did care for her mother, she still didn't know who he was.

She concluded he must be an abnormal if he knows her mother, and as his picture suggests, has lived along time. She wondered if longevity was his power, or just a bi-product of his power. Big Guy also had lived a long time. Who knows, he looked perfectly normal, but what was behind those steel-blue eyes that he was keeping from her.

He walked up to reception and conversed with the manager for a moment.

She eyed him, his posture, the way he held himself, the way he moved his hands, and how is eyebrow slightly lifted when he talked.

Reading body language had become like a habit to her, ever since she was young her mother had taught her how to read people, to know whom she could trust. It was almost essential in their line of work.

She could read basic signs, like when they're lying, or nervous, or even just gassy.

But Mr. Dragoslav, it was almost like he knew she was analyzing him, and he kept almost charmingly collected, save for the occasional glint in his eye that went along with the just subtle smile he shot at her.

He was much better at reading her than she was at reading him.

Of course, she wasn't Uncle James, he read people as if they were children's books.

He finally nodded and accepted something from the manager and came back to her.

"I've told him you are my niece visiting me on her break because your parents are going through a tough divorce back home, if anyone asks you're 18, taking your Arts Degree at Emily Carr, and your just here to enjoy the peace and quiet and the sun, all expenses paid by your loving Uncle, who has no children of his own to spoil, here is your key," he handed her the hotel keycard with a cheeky smile.

"I suppose that means I have to join you for dinner?" said Ashley, putting her a hand on her hip and giving him a look.

"Oh, absolutely, what kind of niece doesn't want to spend time with her uncle?" he grinned even wider.

"Perhaps a niece who isn't actually his niece," she glared at him and he sighed.

"It's a good cover, besides, we can't just burst into this guy's villa guns-a-blazing without a proper plan, not before he completely destroys your mother into a walking sex zombie," he stated nonchalantly.

"Ok, I get it, just stop talking about my mom being a sex zombie, that is beyond creepy," she crossed her arms.

"I am on the third floor, room 303, if you need me, or get scared in the middle of the night," he smirk, "I'll meet you in the dining lounge at 7, sharp, please be on time, I hate waiting."

Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Go settle in, make yourself comfortable, the flight probably took a lot out of you, and I will see you then, at 7," he bowed slightly and started towards the main entrance.

"Wait, where are you going?" she took a step to follow him.

"I'll see you at 7!" he waved her off and walked out.

She sighed.

"Men," she grumbled.

She took her bag and trudged upstairs making her way to her room.

Her room was stunning, and she tried not to think about how much it had cost her new 'uncle' as it were.

It was huge room, despite being a single bed, but the hotel was expensive on the whole, royalty stayed in places like this. Beachfront, air-conditioned, room service, and rooms that made you feel like you had just walked into happy princess land.

It had a balcony with a view of the ocean, a massive canopy bed, a tv with cable, and not just moderate cable, and a mini-bar.

She put down her small bag, she hadn't really put a lot of thought into packing, it wasn't a vacation after all. Her bag mostly contained her guns, and some of Henry's little contraptions. She brought her toothbrush, and a wad of cash, that was it.

She'd have to see about buying more clothes later.

Ashley pulled out a frameless picture from one of the pockets and sat on the bed as she looked at.

It was her and her mother, she must've been four or five, it was her mother's favorite picture of them, it brought comfort to her, and she hugged it close.

She didn't deny that she had thought for a moment, when she was talking to Javor, that he was her father. There was something about him that seemed familiar to her. His eyes? His cheeky grin? The way he spoke?

The first thing he said to her was "You look like her?"

It was hard not to want to believe that she had found him, this mysterious stranger.

But he wasn't, and he knew she would ask. Maybe he knew her father.

All these questions buzzed around in Ashley's head.

She wouldn't deny, he was exactly the type of person her mother would makes friends with, she was always drawn to the arrogant and cheeky types. Even the way he dressed was to her mother's tastes. Clean-cut, organized, and impeccable, just like her mother.

If Ashley didn't learn anything about her father from this man, then she would definitely learn something about her mother.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Not An Ideal Circumstance

_The little girl ran in the garden, her blonde hair blowing in the breeze, and her small hands spread wide like the wings of a plane. _

_She giggled as she swirled and curved around the maze, laughing in her own delight._

_She heard her name along the wind and dropped her arms, an even bigger smile dawning her face as she recognized the voice calling to her again._

"_Ashley!"_

_The little girl ran to the voice excitedly, exiting the maze, past a massive fountain, to the steps of the large building she called home._

"_Ashley where are you?" came the voice again, dismembered from any figure, like the wind had been calling to her this whole time._

"_I'm here!" she called back._

"_Run into my arms, Ashley!" the voice said back and the girl ran to it._

_She turned a corner and gasped in excitement as she found the owner of the voice._

"_I've found you!" she cried and ran into the figures arms._

_It picked her up and lifted her into the air above it's head, before holding her close in a warm embrace._

"_You've found me," the figure laughed warmly, the light shifted and the figures face, previously overcast by shadows, came into light. His blue-grey eyes smiling at her…_

"_I missed you Daddy..."_

Ashley startled awake.

When had she fallen asleep? And more importantly, how long had she been asleep?

She checked her watch quickly and sighed in relief when it was on 5:30. She got up from the bed, leaving the picture still clutched to her chest on the night side table.

She stretched as she made her way to the bathroom, turning on the shower.

Ashley rubbed her head to get it out of the foggy-sleep feeling it was stuck in…the dream she had, felt so real, felt so right, it did not shake that feeling of something more going on between her mother and her new friend, to put it politely.

She sighed and decided to forget about it.

She stepped under the warm water and sighed as the sticky achy feeling washed away.

She finished, dressed in clean clothes; made herself presentable, and went down to beautiful large dining hall downstairs.

The dining hall was extravagant, it went along with the rest of the expensive nature of the hotel. There was a balcony attached to the dining hall that overlooked the moonlit ocean.

"May I help you miss?" said the Maitre'd.

"I'm meeting someone here," she said, her eyes searching the faces of the many patrons, not seeing her companion for the evening.

"Does this person have a reservation?" asked the Maitre'd.

"Uhh, I think so, Dragoslav…uhh, Javor Dragoslav, I might be early," said Ashley.

The man scoffed.

"Right this way," he said not even glancing at the reservations list.

He took her onto the balcony dining area, and sure enough he was already there, wine in hand. He caught sight of her and stood up pulling out her chair for her, like a gentleman would.

"Good evening," he said with a smirk.

"And I thought I was early," she said, he'd probably been there for a good 10 minutes before she had even arrived.

"I don't believe in being late, such bad form," he smirked.

"That's one trait you share with my mother, she hates being late, for anything, probably why she's still alive," she said accepting the menu from the maitre'd.

He laughed at her pun.

"You have her wit," he smiled and sipped his wine.

"So who are you? Really. I get that you're an old friend of my moms, but she's had many, and of all sorts, were you just a colleague, a contact, a…lover?" Ashley hesitated on the last word and he grinned even wider.

"What makes you think we were lovers?" he asks, a glint of deviousness in his eyes.

"Well the picture you have, you looked very happy in it, and you obviously cared enough to keep it," she said, keeping her eyes locked with his.

"I was many things with your mother but lover was never one of them," he said honestly, but she detected a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I assume it wasn't the ideal circumstance," she said, eyeing him harder.

"I was a colleague mostly, a frontier of science in my day, she was a close friend, we worked a lot of long nights together, she helped me through a lot of troubles," he finished his glass of wine and broke eye contact with her to gaze out across the ocean.

"But you did love her?" she looked at him inquisitively.

"Very much so, but the feeling wasn't reciprocated," he shrugged.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because of you mostly, well, more so the idea of you, I wasn't the man she needed at the time, and I made some mistakes that she couldn't forgive me for, life goes on," he sighed.

"So why are you helping me now, especially since you don't want her to know of your assistance," asked Ashley.

"Call it an attempt at redemption, now, are you going to order something or interrogate me some more?" he pushed the menu in front of her closer to her with a smirk.

"I'm not done, but I'll give you some time to think up some answers," she smirked at him as well.

He called over the waiter and ordered another bottle of wine, she wondered how the guy could drink so much and not get tipsy.

They ordered and their menus were taken away.

"So, where did you go earlier?" asked Ashley, throwing the man off guard.

"I went to speak to a contact of mine, an insider in this drug cartel, he assures me that your mother is there, under the clutches of Van Pillsbury Dough Boy, and she's not the first beautiful abnormal woman this man has kidnapped for his own pleasure," he leaned over the table as he talked.

"Is he an abnormal himself?" asked Ashley, leaning in as well.

"No, he's completely three hundred pounds of human, nothing spectacular about him except his cholesterol levels, but he is obsessed about abnormals. He deals in abnormals, markets to abnormals, and apparently tries to marry abnormals," he slid over another picture across the table to Ashley. "You're mother is being shipped to his villa, just across the island, probably where he is preparing some sort of brainwashed love nest, my contact says we have a minimum of 3 days to stop him."

Ashley looked at the picture of her mother being dragged into a van.

"Why aren't the cops being notified?" asked Ashley.

"He's got diplomatic immunity unfortunately, protected under the Dutch Embassy, besides if they found out the nature of his clientele it would blow up into a major catastrophe, the quietly we can do this the better."

"I'm assuming you know where to find this villa," said Ashley and he grinned.

"But, of course, but it's not as simple to get in," he smirked and leaned back into his chair.

"I only have one question?" asked Ashley.

"Yes."

"Why do you need me? I mean, you obviously have everything under control," she looked at him as his grin got bigger.

"Would you trust a stranger to bring your mother home safely?" he laughed lightly and sat up as the waiters brought their food.

Ashley watched him suspiciously, his words making her feel nervous throughout dinner until he bid her good night and paid the bill.

"I'll see you tomorrow at 7:30, front gate," was the last thing he said before he strode back into the hotel.

Ashley got up from the table and went down to the beach, walking along the shoreline. All she wanted was to find her mother and go home, back to Henry and Big Guy.

The world seemed scarier without her mother to protect her, and this Dragoslav, she felt that any moment he could switch the gameplay and kidnap her instead.

"This is no place for a young girl at night." Came a voice from behind her, it caused Ashley to jump.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how for I wandered," she moved away from him and bumped into another man, who grabbed her arm tightly. She tried to yank away from him but he was stronger than him.

"We don't like people trespassing on our territory," said the first man, his eyes were dark and sinister.

"I'm sorry, I'll leave, please don't hurt me, I didn't know!" the man stepped closer and she could smell his foul and stale breath.

She struggled to get away but the other man just gripped even tighter, making her cry out in pain a little as the other one tried to kiss her. She bit his lip and he yelped.

"Fiesty one eh! We'll fix that!" he laughed evilly and Ashley prayed for anything to happen, for someone to save her, and quickly.

She wished her mother was there.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Poetry

Ashley whimpered slightly as the creepy men leered and groped her, a panic rising in her as she struggled to fight them off but they were strong.

She closed her eyes, hoping she would wake up and be in Old City, in her own room, her mother would come in and stroke her hair and tell her it was all just a bad nightmare and that she was ok.

She cried a little as she got smacked across the face; she was afraid about what was to come and held her breath.

Suddenly she heard one of the men yelp and she felt his hands leave her body, and soon after the other one was gone too and there was nothing but silence.

Ashley kept her eyes shut, her breath coming out in short gasps, her own resolve threatening to shatter and collapse to the ground.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she shook away from it, crying.

"Get away! Get away!" she scrambled and fell into the sand.

"It's me, it's me," said Javor's voice, soothingly.

She gasped in relief and opened her eyes, he was above her, his face shone in the moon.

"Are you al-" he started but she had grasped on to him in a tight hug, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed. He tensed slightly at the contact and froze wondering what to do.

After a moment he put an arm around her and lifted her to her feet.

"Just keep walking, and don't look behind you," he said calmly to her as he led her back down the beach to the hotel.

She did as she was told and clung to him, scared that the men would come back to her if she left his arms for a second.

They reached the hotel and he took her to her room silently.

He sat her on the bed and went to the small kitchenette and made her a mug of tea, which she accepted kindly.

She sat on the bed shivering and he draped a small blanket over her.

"You're safe now, I promise," he knelt down in front of her and looks at the small scratch on her cheek. "You have to be careful in these parts."

Ashley nodded as he took out a cotton swab from a small med kit and dabbed some rubbing alcohol on it. She winced as he cleaned the cut and put polysporin on it.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"You should get some rest," he said as he got up putting the small med kit away.

"How did you know?" she asked.

He looked at her.

"I saw you leave, when you didn't return I decided to follow, when I saw you were being assaulted I stepped in," he said nonchalantly.

"Why did you tell me not to look back?" she looked at him.

"So you could move forward," he said cryptically.

"What did you do to those men?" she said, her suspicion of the man not waning.

"It doesn't matter, they won't hurt you again," he said dismissively and she decided to let it go.

"Now, get some rest, I will see you in the morning," he went to the door and she stood up quickly.

"Wait, uh, could you stay, for a while, I don't really feel like being alone right now," she looked down and hugged the blanket tighter to her.

He paused and looked around the room, scrunching his face a little, then he looked at her and sighed.

"Fine, but only until you fall asleep," he said, picking up the phone and ordering a bottle of wine to be delivered before lounging on the couch.

"Thank you," she muttered and slapped his feet so she could sit on the sofa as well.

She flipped through the channels on the tv as he sipped on his wine and read some book with his feet propped up on the coffee table.

Ashley scooted over to him and leaned on his shoulder.

"Whatcha reading?" she asked with curiosity, and a bit childishly.

"Poetry," he mumbled.

"Poetry?" she looked at him funny.

"Yes, poetry, it's a type of writing, with stanzas, couplets, and wonderful rhyming words," he patronized.

"I know what poetry is, I just never figured you as an admirer of such things," she said.

"Why not? I drink wine, I dress impeccably, I speak properly, why on earth shouldn't I read poetry?" he said giving her a look.

"Because, you seem to...indifferent," she said, trying to word it right.

"Some of the greatest poets were quite indifferent to everyone I'll have you know, Edgar Allan Poe was the most indifferent of them all, of course she was a real weird one if you ask me," he shrugged and looked back at his book.

"She?" she looked at him funny.

"Oh right, you think Edgar Allan Poe was a man, well nevermind," he shook it off and Ashley laughed at him.

"You are so weird," she said out loud.

"Isn't that normal for you, you've probably grown up around weird," he said, his eyes not leaving the book.

"Yes, but you are…weird, like, inexplicably weird," she said watching him.

"Thus we reveal your mothers favorite quality of mine, I was just weird enough for her," he laughed, off in his own world.

"But my mother rejected you," he visibly deflated at the statement.

"Yes, well, weird wasn't stable enough for her, her loss," he shrugged and Ashley turned back to the TV, rolling her eyes.

"You are so crushing," she chuckled and he glared at her indignantly but refused to answer her remark.

"Aren't you tired, yet?" he huffed and she laughed some more.

"Not really," she flipped through more channels till she found a good movie and snuggled down.

About a half hour later she was cuddled up to him fast asleep, her head resting on his arm, and every muscle in his body trying to squirm away from her.

After a moment her realized he wasn't going anywhere with that maneuver, so he scooped her up and put her in the bed, he covered her with the blanket he had draped over her earlier and quietly sneaked out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – This Is The Fourth

"_Ashley!"_

_The giggles resounded through the massive home as the little girl ran through the halls, her blonde hair blowing behind her like a flag in the wind. She was wearing a blue sundress and little blue sandals with flowers on them._

_She laughed again as she turned a corner and ran down the corridor and through a door._

"_Ashley!"_

_The door shut behind her and the little girl was lost in darkness, her laughter falling short in her throat, slowly turning into panic._

"_Help me!" cried the little girl._

_The shadows seemed to move and twist and swirl around her, as if they weren't shadows at all, as if they were things and she closed her eyes._

"_Help me please!" she cried again. "I don't like it! Make it stop!"_

_She felt arms wrap around her and she shrieked slightly._

"_It's ok, I've got you, it's me, I've got you, princess," said a voice calmly and she sighed in relief._

"_I was scared, Daddy…"_

Ashley startled awake and rubbed her groggy head.

She looked around, not remembering how she got into the bed, but noticing she was still in the clothes she had worn yesterday.

Then yesterday came back to her with a shudder.

Javor Dragoslav, a complete stranger, had saved her life, or at least rescued her from an unpleasant circumstance. The fact that she had held on to him as if he were an old friend felt a little embarrassing now, but at the time…

Ashley shook her head of the thought.

She checked her watch and got up, she was supposed to meet Javor soon, so showering was out of the question, but she had enough time to at least make herself look presentable.

She was cleaned up and ready in fifteen minutes and heading downstairs, expecting to find him waiting for her there, wine in hand, big smirk, but he wasn't at the front gate as he said he would be.

She went to the front desk.

"Hello," she said to the manager and he smiled.

"Good morning, you're up fairly early, most guests aren't up till 9 or 10," he greeted.

"I'm supposed to meet Mr. Dragoslav, is he in the dining area?" she asked.

"At this time? Ha! No, he has a strict schedule, follow me," said the manager and he led her to the indoor pool, for those guests who just couldn't bring themselves to swim in the ocean. "He pays extra to get the pool to himself from 6:30 to 7."

"What time is it?" she looked at her watch.

"Almost a quarter to 7, your watch must be off," he smirked and pulled out the keys to the pool door and opened it for her and she nodded in thanks.

…Damn…she could've had a shower…

She walked into the pool, it smelt highly of chlorine, and whatever other chemicals they put in pool water.

He was odd, not going to lie, she'd only known him for about a day and he already showed some very strange characteristics as a human being. For one thing, he was punctual to the point of compulsiveness, he didn't really like being touched, on the outside rather thin and not very intimidating but he managed to scare 2 creeps away in a manner of seconds, he was both caring and dismissive, and she couldn't tell whether he was lying or being sincere. As her mother would say, "he's a bloody handful of trouble, best be wary."

She smirked thinking of her mother.

This Javor Dragoslav and her mother must've been a handful together; aside from him being charmingly annoying he is also relentlessly flirtatious, which would drive her mother bonkers.

Ashley watched as he swam each lap, he was like a speedboat in the water, it was fascinating to watch, especially since he didn't have the added benefit of gills or flippers.

She smirked and cat called at him causing him to stop swimming abruptly, and search around wildly looking for the source of the noise.

She waved when his eyes landed on her.

"Morning Free Willy, how's the water?" she joked and he laughed sarcastically.

"How'd you get in here?" he asked.

"Asked the manager where you were, so he let me in," she shrugged and sat down on one of the lounges.

"Ahh, enjoy what you see?" he teased, giving her a grin as he stepped out of the pool. The water dripped off his body, his very toned body.

"If I was twenty years older and had lost my vision, maybe," she teased back, though she was completely putting him on, he had a good body…for whatever age he was, and it was made even sexier by being wet. If they were never lovers, her mom obviously never caught him swimming. "This a routine of yours Sponge Bob?"

"Only for the last 50 years or so," he shrugged and grabbed his towel from a nearby lounge and wiped his face. "Your awfully early for pool stalking."

"My watch was wrong, I thought it was 7:30," she shrugged.

"No matter, you can join me for breakfast, saves me having to put it in a doggy bag for you to eat later," he sighed running the towel over his head causing his cowlick to awaken and stick up in it's usual place.

"Nice hair, I actually thought you put it that way on purpose," she joked.

"Yes, well, my days of slicking my hair back went out with Elvis," he joked back.

"Ah, sported the Beatles look did you?" she teased.

"Oh, gosh no, they're british," he muttered and Ashley laughed.

"Not a fan of the English, I presume," she stood up and stole the towel from him and helped him wipe the water off his back.

"Aside from you're mother…no," he said nonchalantly, tensing slightly at her actions, but relaxing after awhile.

"What makes my mother so special?" she handed him his towel back.

"For one thing she's not from Liverpool," he shudders and she laughs again, "And another thing, she was my first real friend, in fact she's my only real friend as far as the world is concerned."

Ashley looked at him inquisitively, pausing the jokes for a minute.

"So, where's breakfast at?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Dining hall, they serve an excellent three cheese omelet, or if you're up for something really special they also make a delicious egg Florentine."

"I think waffles will be just fine," she smirked.

"Go on ahead, pick a table at least three tables away from the wall, or if you go patio pick the third from the left."

"And what if I don't?" she teased as she made her way to the door.

"Just do it," he glared at her before striding to the change room.

She walked out of the pool and to the dining hall, opting to sit out on the patio instead of being inside, it was much too nice to not be in the sun.

She had ordered orange juice and a cup of coffee before he arrived in his normal attire.

"I said third from the left, this is fourth," he glared at her and she crossed her arms defiantly.

"Suck it up buttercup, it's a table, sit down," he scowled but did anyway, visably uncomfortable. "It's a table, get over it!"

"That's easy for you to say," he sighed.

"If it makes you feel any better were are sitting directly adjacent to the third window, does that help you Captain Anal," she looked over the menu.

"A little," he muttered.

"Drink a little wine you'll feel right as rain," she teased.

"Don't be ridiculous, you never drink wine at 7 in the morning," he scoffed.

"It's the only thing I've seen you drink!" she accused.

A waiter comes over.

"Coffee, please," he said and the waiter nodded and left.

"Coffee? Wow, I would've never figured you as a coffee drinker," she looked at him.

"Not crazily so, but I do enjoy it with breakfast, cleans the palette," he smirks.

"So, what is the game plan for today? She asked sipping her juice.

"My contact says that Van Hagen's men are making a vital delivery from a safe house, this special cargo is being shipped from there to his villa, we're going to try to intercept it."

"Mom?"

He nods his head.

"If the intel is correct, mind you she could be far off the deep end, don't expect her to be easy to move."

"Crap cakes," she muttered and he eyed her weirdly.

"I don't even want to ask," he sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"So, when is the pick up?" she asked.

"Noon."

"And we're leaving at 7:30?"

"So we can be ready for the pick up, seriously do you and your mother just shoot things willy nilly?"

"We usually set up the day before so everything is all set for the pick up."

"Yes, well we don't have that luxury."

"Fine then," Ashley crossed her arms as the waiter brought their breakfast.

They dropped the conversation as she ate her waffles and he drank coffee with enough sugar to send a five year old to the moon.

"Do you think they've hurt her?" she asked tentatively after a moment.

"For their sakes they better have not," he mumbles.

"What if what they've done to her is irreversible?"

"Then I'll make them reverse it," he said flatly.

"What if they can't?" she said, her eyes locking with his.

"Then they better find the darkest corner of the world and hide there, because once I find them, no one will be able to find their remains," he said seriously.

"Fine, I get the picture, chill!" she put down her utensils and his smirk returned.

"We're in Puerto Rico, with out the aid of a roving ice cream truck it's nearly impossible to chill," he mocked her and she rolled her eyes.

"Not the point, gramps," she sighed and he laughed.

"Are you done?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go, even better, we're ahead of schedule!" he stood up and laid his card face down on the table.

"You're just going to leave it there?" she asked as he walked away.

"We're coming back for dinner," he shrugged as he walked out and she sighed following him, a little off-put by the way he had put down the card, as if he didn't want her to see the top of it.

She wondered if he was just paranoid, or if he was trying to hide something from her but she decided it wasn't worth getting into a fit about.

Ashley followed Javor to a rental car at the front and got into the passengers seat.

"Seatbelts," said Javor condescendingly as she got in. She sneered at him.

"Bite me," she said with attitude.

"Be careful what you wish for," she grinned before starting the car and driving away from the hotel.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Square One

Ashley and Javor Dragoslav drove in the rental car in silence.

Ashley was contemplating the turn of events from last night to this morning, and the odd dreams she's been having since she arrived here, there was something odd about it all.

She kept playing it in her head; how one moment she was a hair's breadth away from being a victim, then the next he tormentors disappeared and all that was left was Javor standing protectively above her.

"_Just keep walking, and don't look behind you."_

The words ran through her skull in constant playback. What did he not want her to see? Or was he trying to help her move one. Maybe the trauma of seeing what could've been her crime scene was too much for her to handle at the moment. Maybe it was something worse.

She sighed and leaned back in the passenger seat.

"Are we there yet?" she mumbled looking over at Javor.

"Almost," he said furrowing his brow at the GPS.

_Recomputing._

He scowled at the device and Ashley laughed.

"You're lost aren't you?" she teased and he scowled even more.

"It's not my fault this things is horrible at giving directions, I've had carrier pigeons that gave better instructions than this thing," he flicked the device.

_Make a u-turn at the first opportunity._

"The bastard the made you was an idiot!" he barked at the thing.

_Make a left turn now, please._

"Oh go eat garlic you leech!" he snarled.

"You do realize you are arguing with a technological device, right?" Ashley quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Yes but it knows what I'm saying, don't you? You were sent by Eddie weren't you, here to torture me for eternity!"

"I'm afraid to ask who Eddie is," mumbled Ashley and she looked out the window.

_You have arrived._

"You mock me you vixen!" he parked the car and got out smoothing down the front of his shirt.

"So, do you have any weapons?" asked Ashley following him.

"Me? No, why?" he asked.

"Um, big guys with guns shipping my mom off to wonderland, duh," said Ashleyh taking out her gun and cocking it.

"I assure you it's quite unnecessary," he said with a cocky grin.

"What? Are you superman?" she scoffed.

"Just call me Clark Kent," he chuckled and waved her to follow him.

He went down an alleyway and stopped just behind a dumpster.

"That's where they're keeping your mother," he pointed to one rundown looking building.

"What are we waiting for?" she lifted her gun.

"For her to be brought out into the open, she'll be easier to extricate from Van Hagen's goons, less chance of an ambush too," he peeked out from behind the dumpster. "I thought you said you've done a pick up before."

"Yah, well the way you do a pick up and the way my mom does are a little different," she muttered and he chuckled.

"Your mother was always more elegant than I, of course I was prettier," he smirked and winked at her. "Now when I say so, you run pack to the car and pull it up to here so that we can make a quick getaway."

"Wait, why me?" she asked incredulously.

"Sorry I left my short Puerto Rican assistant at the hotel, you're all I've got," he patted her shoulder.

"It's my mother," she argued.

"Yah, but I'm older, you know what they say, respect your elders," he shrugged her off and she growled at him.

He watched again.

A white van pulled up to the safe house and three goons step out opening the side door.

Javor checked down at his watch.

"What? That can't be right," he muttered.

"What's wrong?" Ashley asked; she looked over at him.

"They're early, damn you Fillipe!" he muttered.

"Whose Fillipe?"

"My contact, that bastard must have squealed," he growled. "Ok! Change of plan, you're going to get the car now!"

He pushed her in the direction of the rental car.

"Hey!" she turned around to protest but he was gone.

She heard some gunshots and cries and ran to the end of the alley, her gun poised to shoot.

She saw one man coming round the end of the car and shot at him, hitting him in the shoulder.

He shot back but she ducked back into the alleyway.

She shot at him again and he fell unconscious to the ground, she double-checked her surroundings before coming up to the van.

She squealed when she was grabbed from behind and spun around to fight whoever it was off.

"I told you to grab the car, does this look like the car?" said Javor, his pristine white shirt now stained with blood.

"Holy crap, are you okay?" she looked at the stain in wide-eyed terror.

"Yes, it's not mine," he mumbled.

"Oh yah, that's comforting," she sneered at him and he sneered back.

They approached the side door to the van and opened it.

"It's empty!" Ashley gasped.

A screeching of tires was heard down the street and they looked just in time to see a black sedan drive off and turn a corner out of sight.

"It was a decoy!" he growled.

"Well whose fault is that?" she teased.

"I told you my contact was an insider, he must've been found out, or something…" he ran a hand through his hair.

"Or you were played," she muttered unhelpfully.

"Doubtful princess, I've been doing this a lot longer than you have."

"What'd you say?" Ashley stared at him, he had called her princess, she felt like she had just been struck with déjà vu or something equally as weird.

"Huh?" he mumbled wincing.

"You're hurt!" she said noticing the bullet wound in his right shoulder.

"It's nothing a little wine and gauze can't fix, don't sweat it," he sighed.

"You've been shot, it's not exactly a splinter," she stared at him incredulously. Most men toppled over crying when they got shot, he acted as if it were a mosquito bite.

"I've had worse, besides we have more important things to do…like save your mother," he bent down to pick up a gun that had been dropped by one of Van Hagen's goons.

He sprung up quickly.

"Um, now would be a good time to run," he said pushing her back towards the alley.

"What?" cried Ashley.

"No time to explain, just run! Run!" he runs faster pushing her as he does so.

She suddenly feels the force of him pushing her down to the ground.

"Ow! What the heck was that for?" she grumbled, elbowing him in the side.

"I know you have this natural tendency to ignore everything I say to you, but this time just do as I say!" he covers her head, using his body as a shield.

After several seconds nothing happened and he lifted his head.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" she grumbled again, staring at him.

"I thought-"

Suddenly the van exploded sending debris flying everywhere over their heads.

"Ok, so there was a bomb! But you realize we could've made it to the car by now!" she huffed at him, elbowing him off her.

"I'm sorry, I just saw a bomb, I didn't stop to read how long we had to run away," he huffed back, rolling on to his back.

"It had big flashing numbers and a ticking clock! How hard can that be to read?" she sat up looking at all the destruction. "Mom could've disabled the thing in that time."

"Well it's just the van, we can still check the safe house for evidence to the location of the villa."

"You mean you don't know?" she asked.

"I have a general idea, but who knows how much false information my contact may have leaked," he shrugged.

"So basically we're back to square one?" she glared at him.

"Well, no, we still have the safe house," he started walking up to the safe house.

He didn't make two steps before the building exploded from the inside, taking the surrounding building with it.

Javor flew back, falling hard against the road on to his back.

He lifted his head coughing because of the smoke.

"You were saying?" muttered Ashley from behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Spiderman Band-Aids and China

_**~~~~Back at the Hotel~~~~**_

Javor Dragoslav, as discovered, hated receiving medical attention.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" he cried trying to move away from her.

"My mother has taught me to do this since I was old enough to hold a scalpel, I could do a tracheotomy with a pair of pliers and a paperclip."

"Why am I not comforted?" he scooted away even more.

"Why are you such a baby?" she put her ands on her hips.

"You haven't even sterilized your hands yet!" he whined.

"Just let me help you, you've been shot, not to mention you almost had your eyebrows burnt off, most normal people would be sent to the hospital by now," she grabbed him firmly by the chin and rubbed alcohol on the cut above his eyebrow.

He flailed wildly, which made the whole process feel like she was riding a mechanical bull.

She got up and went to grab a bandage to cover the now cleaned wound.

He pouted as she did so.

"I don't like hospitals, underpaid, under-staffed, poor bedside manners, and the smell of vinegar could drive anybody crazy, besides they can't help me," he sighed and felt the cut, wincing as he did so."

"Don't touch!" Ashley slapped his hand.

"I am perfectly capable of fixing myself, thank you," he huffed.

"You're just pouting because of you're ruined pride," she put a Spiderman bandaid on the cut and chuckled because it didn't suit him at all.

"My ruined pride? How do you figure that?" he looked at her inquisitively.

"You were soo confident that the pick up would go well and when it didn't it happened in front of me," she grinned smugly.

"That is completely untrue, you didn't do what I told you, so it's technically your fault," he pointed at her accusingly.

"Like going to get the car would've made any difference, you fell for the decoy truck because you had a faulty source, I'd say the biggest blunder today was you," she grinned even wider.

"Oh like your mother's never had a bad job before," he glared defensively.

"My mother never messed up a pick up," she glared back. Javor was effectively silenced. "Take off your shirt," she said victoriously.

He eyed her weirdly.

"I'm afraid you're not my type," he said and she hit him on his shoulder.

"So I can check the bullet wound, cheeky," she growled at him and he pouted, but he obliged her and removed the blood-soaked shirt.

"I will give you one thing, you have a high tolerance for pain than I've seen in most guys, especially after being shot," she said looking at the bullet wound.

"It's not the first time I've been shot, and it definitely won't be the last," he grinned.

"Well aren't we just Captain Pessimism," she teased.

"Never said it was going to kill me, I have a talent of escaping near-death experiences," he said with a wink.

"What are you? Some type of teleporting abnormal?" she joked but his smile instantly dropped.

"No, no I'm not," he said looking away, Ashely felt she had pinched a tender nerve, but decided to drop it and fix up his arm in silence.

"There, done," she said standing up from the sofa and packing up the emergency med kit.

"Thank you," he said quietly, standing up and taking his bloody shirt off the coffee table.

"You're welcome, it was the least I could do for-" she stopped and looked away, "It was the least I could do."

He nods in understanding.

"I'll see you later, 7:30 sharp, don't be late," he said walking out of her hotel room.

Ashley sighed, running a hand through her blonde hair.

This guy was more complicated than a Rubik's cube.

It's not like she's ever dreamed of finding her father, but she's always been curious, and some how her mother's brief explanation that he died before she was born never seemed to cut it, and for some reason this Javor Dragoslav makes her wonder all the more.

When she was little she used to make up stories about her father and mother, that they were like Romeo and Juliet, completely and totally in love but then he got kidnapped by a band of pirates and became one of them, but her mother was told he had been murdered by them.

She may have gotten inspiration from the Princess Bride.

Never the less, she always wondered the possibility of whoever her father was, was still alive.

She's human; it's only natural to wonder about these things.

Not like her mother has kept photo albums or picture frames, or anything to satisfy her curiosity.

Maybe she was hoping too much from this Javor Dragoslav; false hopes, false dreams.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Javor Dragoslav snuck out of the hotel, not even rustling a branch on his way.

He got into his rental car and drove away from the hotel.

He had changed into a fresh shirt, leaving the other one in the trash, he had no use for a stained and ripped shirt. The band-aid that Ashley had placed in his forehead was gone, along with the wound.

He drove to the other side of town, dodging pedestrians, taxis, and fruit stands, almost expertly.

As the car slowed he had reached the slum, the poorer side of town, he felt the impulse to wipe his hands just by looking at it.

Javor got out of the car, straightening his clothes, before walking down the alleyway.

A young man, native to the city, walked out of one of the buildings into the alleyway.

The man's eyes fell upon Javor and he squeaked before booking it down the alley.

"Fillipe!" growled Javor.

He ran up fast and caught the man by the throat, slamming him against the wall.

"Oh mister Dragoslav! I didn't realize it was you, I thought you were, someone else, what can I do for you?" the guy lied profusely; he was already sweating.

"You really are a horrible liar Fillipe, even worse than that you are an even more horrible inside man, squealer, now you have 10 seconds to defend yourself before I remove your larynx," Javor said easily.

"Is not my fault, I swear!" he cried.

"8…7…6…" Javor counted.

"Wait, wait! I can explain, I promise all I told you was true, but they found me out man! Van Hagen was going to send a manhunt after me unless I squealed, but I told him only about the pick up, he doesn't know that you have the location of his villa, please man, I got a family!" cried Fillipe, he started praying in his native language.

"Don't lie again to me Fillipe, it will take less than a manhunt from me to track you down and send pieces of you back to your family in the form of meatloaf," he growled.

"I swear, they don't know!" Fillipe sobs.

"And how do I know that when I arrive at that villa that I won't be ambushed?" snarled Javor, he lifted the guy further of the ground.

"Van Hagen's getting ready for his wedding to the woman you're after, she's going to be the crown jewel of his trophy wives, three days to prepare her, then he's going to marry her, and when that happens she's going to be moved deeper into Van Hagen's network, the marriage is set in 4 days, it's a big ceremony at the villa! Van Hagen won't waste any resources on an ambush, especially because they think they had you fooled with the stunt at the safehouse, I promise that's all I told them about, they twisted my arm for over an hour!" he lifted up his arm that had been set in a very crude cast. "They would've done worse if I hadn't given them something!"

Javor lowered the man to the ground and released his neck.

"Well, at least now I don't have to do it, but if I find out that you are lying to me again, it will take more than a cast to heal you up," said Javor handing Fillipe a wad of cash. "Don't spend it all in one place."

The man nodded and stuffed the money into his pocket and nodded wildly.

"Now, have a nice day, my friend, don't do drugs," Javor smirked and walked back down the alleyway.

_**~~~~7:30 Sharp~~~~**_

Javor sat at his usual table on the balcony.

He checked his watch once again, and double-checked the band-aid on his forehead was in the right place before taking another sip of his wine.

"Well, you're as punctual as ever," a voice disrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see Ashley. At least he thought it was Ashley, she was glammed up, and stunning. He could've mistaken her for a twenty-something, she definitely had the Magnus skill for looking good when needed, though why she had chosen to dress herself up for this occasion was beyond him.

"Don't you look grown up," he said casually, standing up as she took her seat.

"You like it?" she said, almost suggestively.

"It's better than the tank top and jeans number," he said nonchalantly, picking up his menu. He was understating it of course. She looked wonderful, but he wasn't sure where she was going with this, so he wasn't going to treat her any differently.

"You really know how to make a girl feel special," she said with a laugh.

"You're welcome," he said flatly.

"I'm starting to realize why my mom didn't like you," she teased.

"What makes you say she didn't?" he looked up from the menu.

"Well, you guys have stopped talking to each other, I don't call you Uncle Javor, and she has never mentioned you, obviously you did something dislikable," she grinned and he scowled back.

"We had a bit of a blow up, but your mother did very much like me beforehand," he smirked cheekily.

"That's your perspective, Mom is an expert at keeping her true feelings hidden, she's shaken hands with some of the most outright detestable people in history and she did it with a smile," Ashley said confidently,

"You don't know the half of it," he chuckled and went back to the menu.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ashley crossed her arms defiantly.

"When I say I was your mother's friend for a long time, I don't mean it in your teenage terms of a week or so, or as bff's, we knew each other probably longer than you've been alive, I know very well the hands she's shaken," he drank some wine. "What does my relationship with your mother have anything to do with the way you dress?"

"Just curious," she said back, lifting up her own menu.

"Yes, well, your mother was always impeccably dressed, and punctual, traits any decent human being should have," Ashley smirked.

"Is that all?" she grinned, almost seductively, what was this girl up to?

"It's in the top three," he didn't look up from his menu and Ashley took this as her opportunity. She gingerly uncrossed her leg and ran her foot up his inseam to his inner thigh; resulting in a sharp intake of breath from him.

He grabbed her foot before it went any further and placed it on the ground.

"I don't know what you're getting at Miss Magnus, but whatever it is you won't be getting it from me," he looked at her.

"Why not? Am I not pretty enough?" she scooted her chair close to him.

"I am probably old enough to be your grandfather."

"That hasn't stopped older men before."

"You are a child."

"I am 16, I am technically a woman," Ashley placed a hand gently on his thigh and he looked at her unimpressed.

"You are a young girl, have you even had a boyfriend yet?" he said looking at her.

"Of course I have, but isn't that part of the excitement, taking something before somebody else does?"

"I don't know what article of the cosmopolitan you've been reading, but I have no interest in taking anything from you," he took her hand off his thigh and put it in her lap. "You've been through a lot in the last few days, it's understandable to feel like you need to regain control, or prove yourself, but this is something you'd regret for the rest of your life, that, and your mother would kill me seven different ways."

"I don't get you, I mean you're not my father, and your not a creep, but you flirt like it's second nature, but behind it you're as moralistic as a monk from Budapest. What are you trying to get at? It's not me, so it must be my mom, but you don't want my mom to know you're helping me, and it's not for money because you haven't asked for anything, if anything you have spent more money on this operation than I could give you. And on top of that you can't do anything unless it's in threes, you don't drink anything but wine, and all you wear are crisp clean white button down shirts that never get a speck of dirt on them!"

"Your point?"

"My point is why? Why, if you get no reward out of it, are you helping me?" she glared at him.

"Personal redemption, if not in the eyes of your mother than in my own, I should've done more for her, this is the least I could do for all she has done for me," he said sincerely.

"You don't just care for her, do you? You love her?" she looked into his blue-grey eyes.

"Very much so," his eyes looked into hers sadly.

"Wow, I feel like a joke," she looked away.

"Nah, you look great, any man would be honored to have dinner with such a beauty," he smirked, his flirty demeanor returning.

"I just put out for a man whose in love with my mother," she ran hand over her face.

"Hey, I have to compete with every other man who's in love with your mother, get used to it," he chuckled.

"Just order and don't talk to me," she huffed and he chuckled.

"It's understandable, I am a sweet talker with devilishly handsome good looks," he gives her a cheesy grin.

"With an ego the size of china," she shifted in her seat so she wouldn't have to look at him for the rest of the evening.

Though the sound of his taunting chuckle never left her ears.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Through the Rain

_**~~~~Villa off the Coast, Van Hagen Head Quarters~~~~**_

"The package from downtown arrived safely, sir, it has been placed in the good hands of Aphrodite and the girls."

"Excellent, I want an update on her condition every two hours, tell Dita that," Richter Van Hagen said through the thick cigar smoke around his head.

He smiled contently as he watched the slowly sinking sunset off the horizon; he always loved beautiful things, from architecture, to priceless works of art, to women. Women especially.

The rich Dutchman had made a point to constantly surround himself with beautiful things, and have 6 wives was no exception, one for everyday of the week if all goes well.

His seventh was to be a prize, a timeless beauty, literally, he had his eye on her for quite some time. Not only was she concerned with his other passion, she was graceful and seductive, and had deep beautiful eyes. Every time he thought about her, he knew he had to have her as his own, such a trophy must be obtained.

Now he had her, the great Helen Magnus.

"Anything else, sir?" said his henchman.

"Any news on our little squealer?"

"A very interesting development, seems like the little arm twisting wasn't enough to keep his mouth shut, we don't know who he was talking to, the guy was very good at keeping his face from our screens, but he paid the mouse money for his information."

"How unfortunate, I guess we'll have to have another little talk with our good Fillipe."

"Right away, sir."

The goon bowed and left the balcony.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

"_Helen, you could…you could come with me."_

"_Nikola, I can't just pack up and leave on a whim, I have responsibilities, duties; promises I intend to keep, unlike you who can just disappear."_

"_It's just a dumb war, we've already lived through the first one, I gave you the autotype what more do you want from me?"_

"_Is this just all a big joke to you?"_

"_Of course not, but I tried and this is where it got me, and now I have to die and leave everything behind, why is it a crime for me to hold on to something?"_

"_I'm going to have a baby Nikola."_

"_What?"_

"_I don't know when, but it's something I have chosen to do, it's something I want, I saved the embryo for years with James' help, and when this war is done, when ever it is over, I'm going to have it."_

"_It's John's isn't it?"_

"_Yes…Don't look at me like that."_

"_I'm not asking for anything, just come with me, I'll look after you, the both of you, you know I can, please."_

"_You have every major agency from every allied government after you, I'm having a body planted in your apartment in New York, arranging funeral plans, plans to make sure your work doesn't fall in the wrong hands."_

"_So what? You know where I'm going, meet me there."_

"_It's no life for a child Nikola, and you know that."_

"_So that's it then, I'm out of your life forever now."_

"_Don't be like that, Nikola, years will pass, people will forget, and as long as neither of us will die we'll see each other again."_

"_What if you forget?"_

Javor Dragoslav blinked.

Rain always caused him to drift off; so many moments of his life took place when it rained.

It was the first time it rained since he had arrived in Puerto Rico, and he had stopped reading and came out to look at it.

Windless rain. It always looked warm to him, just soft droplets of water cleaning the earth, and the lightning and thunder a reminder of the power beneath his feet.

But as his mind focused on the droplets it wandered, as if the rain held his precious and painful memories for him to see.

He heard a knock at the door looked at it, deciding if he should ignore it or not.

The knock came again and he sighed, walking over to the door.

He opened the door to see Ashley wrapped up in a blanket.

"You make that helpless puppy face all you want, I won't sleep with you," he teased.

"That was over an hour ago, get over it, let me in," she said with a huff.

"Why should I if you're going to be like that?"

"I accidentally left my balcony door open and the rain got in and soaked everything, I was in the shower at the time, the manager says they'll get a carpet cleaner in the morning, can I just stay here before I suffer any more embarrassment tonight."

"Come in," he said with a grin.

"You can take the bed, I don't sleep on it anyway," he said casually as he sat back down on the sofa and read.

"Don't tell me you sleep upside down because you're part bat," she teased.

"I take offense to that!" he scowled.

"Do you sleep in the tub with one leg up?" she joked some more.

"I sleep on the couch, hence why I'm sitting here," he huffed.

"Have you figured out a plan B to save my mom?" she asked sitting on the bed.

"I think so, by my calculations we have about 3 days to get her out before Van Hagen moves her deeper into his network, I plan to hit them in two, tomorrow we scout the location of the villa, look for access points, the next day we get in, get your mother, get out, and say "Hasta luego!" to our little dutch friends."

"Is this from the same contact who told you about the safe house?" Ashley joked.

"That's besides the point," he said defensively.

Ashley laughed but decided to drop the matter and crawl on to the bed and under the covers.

"I remember when I was little and it was the middle of the night during a fierce thunderstorm, I snuck to my mother's room, she always had the fireplace going, and she closed the curtains and said everything was going to be okay," Ashley muttered, more to herself than anything.

"Is there a reason you bring up this memory, or are you just lamenting?" said Javor.

"I think about it every time it rains, it turned into a tradition of ours, we'd always drink cocoa and sit by the fire when it rained," Ashley propped her head up on her arm and looked out the window. "One thing that I never understood was how sad my mom looked when it rained, not during a thunderstorm, but just when it would rain, she'd always stare out the window as if she missed the sun."

"When you've lived as long as your mother has you associate certain memories with certain things, like weather patterns, pieces of jewelry, books," he mumbled.

"What does that book remind you of?" she asked.

"It was a gift, giving to me during a phase of my life when I really enjoyed poetry, it reminds me of a more carefree time of my life, the poetry is rather tame compared to most but I like it, I remember reading it in the park near the university I attended, I was so young back then," he sighed.

"Was it from my mom?" she asked.

"Yes," he flipped to the first page of the book. "To my good friend on his birthday, a little gift to soothe the savage beast, from Helen,' circa 1879, humorous because then she thought the only thing that I could calm me down at the time was poetry."

"And she was wrong?" she looked at him.

"Not entirely," he muttered.

Ashley chuckled.

"So tomorrow we're scouting, huh?" she sighed staring back out the window.

"Yes, that's the plan," he went back to the page he was reading.

"Even if it's raining?" she asked.

"Even if it's raining, but I doubt it, the rain should cease during the middle of the night."

_**~~~~Next Day~~~~**_

"It's still raining," Ashley glared at Javor.

"I am very aware of that."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Fast & Furious

_**~~~~Bushes outside Van Hagen's Villa~~~~**_

"This is just great! 'The rain will pass!' he says, 'In the middle of the night!' he says, well 8 hours later it's still pouring, but does that stop the great hapless wonder! No! We're still out in the rain doing re-con!" Ashley grumped, pushing her wet bangs out of her eyes.

"I told you to bring a hat," shrugs Javor, his wet hair sticking up even more.

"Of course you don't care, you were wet to begin with, you and your daily routine were prepared for this, I however was not!" she huffed again lowering her binoculars to glare at him.

He shrugs again.

"We don't exactly have the luxury of waiting for the perfect weather, we have three days, if it was snowing we'd still be here, so stop complaining!" he went back to peeking through his binoculars. "We have guards circling the perimeter every hour or so, at least 2 at every access points, security cameras, some nasty looking dogs, and a waitress who brings drinks, it seems, either that or she's soliciting for sex, it's hard to tell."

"Whoa, way too much information!" said Ashley.

"I'm sorry, she's a bad bad woman doing bad bad things, Treehouse TV enough for you?" he rolled his eyes.

"Yah, you can stop patronizing me, I get it," Ashley wiped her face. "Ugh this is miserable!"

"Yah, but admit it, you're having fun," he grinned widely and again Ashley had the incessant urge to slap it off.

"I'd be having a lot more fun if I was dry!" she growled.

"Yah but that would be a lot less fun for me," smirked Javor, his eyes trailing down to the front of her wet, limp shirt.

"Pig!" her hand lifted and smacked him on the cheek.

He laughed cheekily and went back to looking through his binoculars.

"What do you see?" she muttered after awhile.

"Hmmm," he mumbled.

"What is it?"

"Looks like fatty is going for a little joyride, stay here," he got up and headed back to the rental car.

"Oh hell no! There is no way you're leaving me here!" Ashley followed him.

"You have a real problem taking orders, you wouldn't do well in the military," he remarked snidely.

"Yah well you have a real problem taking the fact that I am not staying out here in the rain while you hunt down the guy who has my mother!" she growled pushing him so that he would face her.

"Look, I need you to stay here, I'm not going to let you get hurt…I need you to be in perfect health for the rescue," he put his hands on her shoulders. "Now note all the cameras and security measures and figure out a way to disable them, I'll be right back."

"No!" growled Ashley.

"Just trust me, I won't be going off to a fire fight, just going to tail him, nothing special, just sit here and do as I say!" he ordered.

"But-"

"Do as I say!" he barked and she stopped in her tracks.

He got into the car and drove away, leaving Ashley to stare in anger and kick up mud.

She went back behind the bushes and held up her binoculars, deciding to suck it up and do what he had asked her to do.

He had to come back, right?

She sighed and shivered slightly.

He better come back soon.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Javor followed Van Hagen's car closely, trying to be discreet as possible.

The car stopped and Javor watched closely as one rolled down the window, peeked his head out, followed by a massive machine gun.

"Crap!" he growled and ducked before the bullets came flying through his windshield.

Shards of glass rained down on him and fell into his hair and cut his hands.

He climbed out of the car and ducked behind taxi's and other vehicles, the hail of bullets following him.

Van Hagen's car drove off and Nikola climbed back into his car and drove after them.

How did they realize he was following them?

"Fillipe," he growled deeply, his eyes turning black for a moment but he blinked them away.

He drove faster pulling out his own weapon from his waistline.

"I dislike being shot at," he growled and fired his own weapon at the car, hitting the goon in the arm.

The goon scrunched his face in pain and slithered back inside the car.

Another popped out of the other window and continued firing.

"It's like Hit-A-Gopher! Ok!" Javor smirked and leaned out of the window and shot again.

This guy was much harder to hit.

He fired a couple round and one clipped his hand making him drop the gun.

"Ow! That was my finger!" he looked at the bloody stub that used to be his ring finger. "Now I'm pissed."

His voice grew unnaturally deep.

He sped up and saw the corner; a sharp turn with a barrier, to make sure cars didn't go over the edge and plummet into the ocean. This was his opportunity.

He sped up and rammed the front of the rental car into the side of Van Hagen's car taking both vehicles over the barrier and into the water below. Not a far drop, but far enough that it caused quite the jolt when the car entered the water.

Javor felt his head come in contact with the steering wheel, and something sharp lodge into his shoulder; his right knee became pressed hard and squished against the side of the car door, and his lungs filled with water.

He thought for a moment as the world blacked out how, if he were normal, the blood loss would be substantial, no doubt a piece of windshield had embedded itself in his right shoulder and no doubt into an artery, or something equally as bloody as that. If he were normal, his knee would be shattered, probably beyond the point of walking, and if possible it would take several surgeries, physiotherapy, and a cane.

If he were normal the impact of his head hitting the steering wheel would've caused the skull to fracture and blood to bleed into the brain, his nose would break as well cutting off air. His hands would be cut, another round of surgeries just to repair all the tiny nerves, he could say goodbye to his career in that moment.

And also, if he were normal, he'd be dead.

His eyes opened after a moment of unconsciousness, shaking of the residual pain, pulling his leg out of it's tight spot and using it to kick the rest of the windshield out and swim to the surface.

His nostrils were the first to crest the surface and he inhaled deeply from both his orifices.

He used both arms to swim to the shore. His right hand coming into contact with sand, and he flopped his body over; a slight exhaustion pulling at him. He pulled the glass shard out of his shoulder. He let out a pained cry and through the shard into the water before flopping back down on to the sand, reveling in the ability to breathe and not to feel.

He suddenly felt hands on his arms pulling him slightly.

"This is the tail!" growled a voice.

"He damn near killed us all," growled another.

He felt a foot come in contact with his gut; steel-toed boot was it? Hiking boot?

A fat hand came down and grabbed him by the shirt hoisting up to an equally fat face.

"Van Hagen suspected this, he didn't know tell us the fiend was crazy," growled the fat man. Garlic was thick on his breath; he must've recently had lunch.

Javor let out a slightly drugged out laugh.

"Jimmy was behind us, he'll be waiting for us, take him to Van Hagen," ordered the fat one.

Javor had been duped, and he had known it from the moment he saw them at the villa. Ashley, if she had done as he said, will see them drag him into that lair of a villa and hopefully she would have the brainpower to get in, get him, and get out, that would be good.

He felt himself being dragged away.

One man had injured his leg, he could feel him limp, every step. There were two others walking ahead. The one with the wounded shoulder he had shot in the chase, and the fat Van Hagen double who smelt like garlic.

The other one that held his right arm was sniffling, he must've been driving, suffering a crack on the nose when the car hit the water, just like he did.

All these things he could hear, he could sense the blood rushing in the palms of his captors, he could hear the water droplets from his spiked up hair hit the sand below him.

He heard the change when their shoes hit gravel, when they opened the door of a car, tossing him into the back.

He heard the car start, he heard it move; he heard the men talking, breathing.

But he heard no rain.

When had the rain stopped? He couldn't remember.

The car stopped and he was once again pulled out of the car and dragged.

He was taken down to a dark basement room, he felt the coldness of darkness, and the staleness that basements tend to have.

He was tied up and all he felt for the next few minutes were fists coming hard into contact with his face, gut, and a choice jab to a lower region, which left him breathless for a moment.

"Hope that teaches you to know your place," snarled one of the goons.

"I hope you suffer electrical burns," Javor touched his leg against the man own and shocked him thoroughly.

The man stepped back and grabbed Javor by the throat.

"You may not want to put your hand there," laughed Javor and the man released his throat.

"Van Hagen will make quick work of you, my friend," he growled and signaled to the other men to leave.

"I severely doubt that," mumbled Javor to himself as he extricated one of his claws and sliced the ropes holding him up.

He fell to the floor like a wet sock.

"Javor!" he heard a familiar voice say.

"Well, it's about time," he groaned, sitting up.

"What happened? You look like crap," she said.

"Took our friends for a little swim and they didn't like it so they beat the hell out of me, but no biggy, just take your time helping me up," he said sarcastically.

"You could say please," she muttered and offered her hand.

"Well, I did get us inside," he smirked.

"You could've told me this before going all fast & furious on me," she glared at him.

"And spoil the surprise, never," he straightened up, smoothed down the front of his shirt.

"For a guy who had the hell beat out of him, you look fine," Ashley eyed him curiously.

"I never said they beat my face," he shrugged.

"You'd still be in pain, goons like that don't necessarily hit like girls," said Ashley.

"Blame it on the adrenaline, I'll be crying later," he stole one of the guns from her waistline.

"Now, lets go find mommy."

He took one step and waivered slightly.

"Stood up too quickly, I'm fine, let's go!" he mumbled quickly then stumbled forward and out of the cellar.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – One Step Closer

Ashley walked around the back of the villa, Javor Dragoslav following behind her, almost deathly quiet.

He was a man of mystery, like a character from an Alfred Hitchcock film, this Mr. Dragoslav.

He clearly had known her mother from a previous encounter, but his mother had never mentioned him, so what ever he had done to be counted so sourly in her favor, it must've been bad.

Then there was his request for anonyminity, almost has as suspicious as his hand in helping. She couldn't tell if he was an overprotective friend, or an over caring stalker.

And then there was his ability to take a punch, car accident, bullet would, and come out of it completely unscathed.

There was something off about him.

It was almost creepy how gracefully stealthy he was. It took her every ounce of training her mother had given her to go by unnoticed, but it came seamlessly effortless to him.

All these elements added up to one heckuva mystery, and a whole heckuva lot more questions she wanted answered.

Was she ever going to see him again once they brought her mother back? Was he going to stay? Was he her father? Was he who he said he was? Was he anybody? Was he in love with her mother? Was her mother in love with him? Why was he risking everything for her, for them?

Many men had sent flowers, chocolates, expensive jewelry, even rare abnormals to garner her mothers affections, all had been turned away with a small smile and an apology. Ashley always figured that it was because she was still in love with her father, a child's dream, possibly, no kid wants to see themselves as the by-product of a one night stand with some European dude.

Had her mother been waiting for Javor Dragoslav all this time?

It drove her crazy, and she wasn't going to let him walk out of her life again without some answers.

Ashley went to the nearest window of the villa to pry it open and crawl through it.

The window resisted her but she managed to prop it open with her pistol and climb through. She turned back to call Javor over.

"Javor! I'm inside!" she called.

"Yah, me too," he said from behind her, making her jump.

"Jeez! Where'd you come from?" she hit him in the chest.

"The back door, it was open, but very creative, you and your mother have a gift for doing things the hard way," he said with a smirk.

"Sometimes it's safer," shrugged Ashley.

"Yah, but such a strain," said Javor nonchalantly.

"It also lowers the chances of tripping a silent alarm," said Ashley, hearing a click from behind Javor.

"Oh yah…that totally slipped my mind," muttered Javor pulling out Ashley's gun from her waistband and shooting at the new company. "Grab the gun!"

He gestured to the gun in his waistband.

"I got it," she said.

"Yah, I'm pretty sure that's not a gun," said Javor cheekily.

"Shut up," muttered Ashley.

They both notice the corridor beyond the first wave of goons guarded more intensely.

"That's where they must be keeping your mother," he said pointing down the corridor.

"How do you know?" she asked shooting a few more rounds at the goons.

"Van Hagen's lair would be position in a more secure location, and nothing else is more important to him then your mom's booty, hence the guards," he said firing off a few rounds himself.

"I'll cover you and lead them off," said Ashley.

"Like hell," growled Javor.

"Look, I'll be fine, just go find my mother, for once do as I say," said Ashley sternly and Javor nodded.

Ashley shot cover fire at Richter Van Hagen's goons while Javor Dragoslav snuck behind them into the room they were guarding.

A soon as he stepped into the room his nostrils were filled with the strong aroma of incense.

It was full of scantily clad women, sitting among satin curtains and flower petals, lounging their feet into the small pool in the centre of the room.

One of them came up to him and touched his shoulder gracefully.

"Are you here for business or pleasure?" she drawled into his ear, her tongue just gently touching the lobe.

He instinctively pulled away from her and brought a handkerchief to his ear and wiped.

"Neither as far as your concerned," he scanned the beautiful young faces.

"Then what can I do you for?" she said just as heavy as before.

"I'm looking for a specific girl, she's who I want, and only she, and you, my pretty friend, are going to help me find her," he said pointedly.

"Your wish is my command," she said, her eyes leering at him.

"I bet you say that to all the men," he gave her a sardonic smile and he flipped out a picture of Helen Magnus, a picture he had leant from Ashley, his own still tucked securely in his breast pocket. "This is the woman, have you seen her?"

"The masters new girl, we've been prepping her for him, she is…unavailable for our customers," the woman let out a heavy chuckle.

"I, dear lady, am not a customer," he took out the gun, also on lend from the wonder-Magnus.

He let his eyes change into their terrifying blood-black, but in a blink it was gone, and the woman's prowess vanishing with it.

"He won't let you take her, he plans on making her his wife, she is much more tightly secured than we are," the woman had a hint of panic in her voice.

"Take me to her, and I promise no harm will come to any of you," he said sincerely.

Her eyes widen.

"You mean to free us?" she said, a hint of hope leaking into her voice.

"If I have to yes," he said flatly, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. "But this woman is my friend, I have to rescue her first."

The woman nodded.

"They won't let you come in like that," she said handing him a robe and face veil.

He sighed, of course he couldn't, that would be too easy…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Frisky Helen

_**~~~~Van Hagen's Villa~~~~**_

The woman led Javor to a special chamber and sat him down. She called for several young girls to come. They walked in giggling and whimsical, carrying an array of items. The woman shouted in a foreign language at them, one that Javor didn't understand.

They swarmed him pulling at his clothes and tugging at his hair.

They scurried away.

The woman stepped up to him.

"Forgive their excitement, they've never had to dress up a man before."

Javor glared at her, and coughed as he inhaled too incense.

"Here, take this."

He glared at it and let out a huff but took it without a word.

..this is for Helen…this is for Helen…

He threw on the robe and covered the bottom part of his face so only his eyes peeked out and the woman sprayed some fruity scented stuff at him.

"Hold still!" she barked and his eyes were forced shut as she smeared thick eye make-up across his eyelids. "There! You make pretty girl."

Javor cringed, it was sad because he did; he was certainly skinny enough to pull it off, which didn't really make him feel better.

"Now take me to her," he said sternly. She waved him in the direction down a corridor, to a door that was guarded by two buff, tanned, and armed men.

"We're here to prepare the girl, master wants her ready for tonight," said the woman, her prowess returning.

"Whose this fine flower?" said one of the guys, looking at Javor, his hand reaching out to caress his cheek, and he muffled a growl.

"She's new, not to be touched until the master approves!" said the woman.

"I won't tell if you don't," the guy said, smiling deviously, showing off a fine set of gold teeth.

Javor was repulsed.

"I have an obligation to these girls, you do not touch until Master approves, now let us in," said the woman, her voice growing louder.

"What would I get in return? Give me 5 minutes with her, it won't matter one way or the other…ooh she has nice hips," the guy grinned and Javor tried not to flinch or roll his eyes.

Damn his skinny ass hips…

Javor made a giggle sound, so not to be suspicious.

"It will matter! If Master finds out then you are executed and I am beaten!" she pulls him away from Javor. "She is off limits!"

The guard turned fast and hit the woman hard across the face and Javor sprung forward and grabbed him with a clawed hand, pulling him off his feet.

"Now that's no way to treat a lady, your mother would be so disappointed!" he growled in his deep unnatural voice.

He dug his claws into the man's side letting him crumple to the floor, and he quickly broke the neck of the second guard.

Javor pulled off the veil and use it to wipe off the make-up in his face.

He went over to the woman who was cowering on the floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked kindly.

She nods.

"Ok, go back with the other ladies, keep them safe, you'll be free from this place soon," he helped her to her feet and pushed her in the direction they had come before he dragged the officers out of sight and slipped inside the room.

Once inside, he abandoned the flowy robes and ran a hand through his hair to dislodge whatever flower petal and other spices those girls had thrown in there.

He stuffed the garments into a corner and smoothed down his shirt before examining his surroundings.

The room was covered, ceiling to floor with pieces of white and pink fabric, candles, and flower petals, a grandiose bridal suite if he'd ever saw one.

He walked deftly over to the massive canopy bed in the middle of the room.

Incense burned in almost every corner of the room, filling it with an almost intoxicating sickly sweet aroma of lavender and vanilla.

His hands reached for the thin curtains of the canopy bed, hesitating slightly, unsure of what was lying behind them.

He pulled them back gently, his gaze falling on her peaceful form, like Sleeping Beauty.

"Helen," he said softly as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, caressing her chin gently.

She lazily opened her eyes a crack and looked at him with a content, if slightly drugged, sigh.

"Nikola…" she murmured happily her hands sliding over his face.

He instinctively leaned into her touch, the warmth of her hands such a familiar feeling.

"I'm here Helen, I'm going to take you home now," he took her hand and kissed the top of it lightly.

"I…missed you…sooo nice to see you again," she slurred.

"And I missed you, we can catch up later, but first I have to get you out of here," he said, attempting to pull her off the bed.

"What's the rush?" she tugged him down on top of her, giggling in her heavy, drugged state.

"Helen, I'm flattered, but now is not the time, and I doubt you will think kindly on it when we get these drugs out of your system, so lets get you home, Ashley is waiting…"

She grabbed the sides of his shirt and pulled him towards her, trapping him in a hard kiss.

He squeaked slightly in surprise at her forwardness, especially when he felt her hands trail down his chest and undo the buttons of his shirt.

Nikola jerked away from the kiss.

"Helen! As much as I'd like to, this is neither the time nor the place, nor the state of mind I want you in, please, let me take you home," he pleaded with her but she giggled and just kissed his neck instead.

She grinded against him even more as she did so, and it didn't help that she was in very little clothing.

His temporary distraction had allowed her to flip him over and pin him down helplessly under her.

"No, Helen, I really think that you should listen to me now…don't make me do this by force."

Her hands slid up his chest sensually.

"Mmm, force…" she drawled, leaning down and kissing him again. His senses were in overdrive. Part of him wanted to give in, let her manipulate him into a corner, let her have her way with him, but the other part, the logical part of him knew that at any moment Van Hagen's men would be in here, ready to remove him permanently.

He wasn't afraid of them, he was just afraid Helen, or her young daughter would get caught in the crossfire.

But Helen, persistent as she was, had other ideas.

"Helen, what drugs did they give you?" he growled.

She shrugged and let out a little giggle as she straddled him even more.

She managed to undo his shirt push it as far off his shoulders as he would allow, her fingertips lightly brushed the skin as she kissed him again; for a moment he nearly forgot why he was here. All he could fathom was that Helen was kissing him.

Then he remembered.

He pulled away from the kiss.

"Helen!" he scolded.

Helen's hand slipped just under his pants line and Nikola spun them around, trying to gain back control, she just giggled and reached further.

Nikola acted fast and pinned her hands above her head, his breathing heavy as he focused on controlling both her and himself.

"Helen! Snap out of it! You need to snap out of it so that I can get you, and Ashley out of here safely, this is not a game!" he barked.

She just laughed, the drugs coursing through her system preventing her from fully comprehending anything other than how horny she felt.

Nikola winced at the thought, but knew it was the only way to get her out of here without having to worry about another incident like this happening again.

"Forgive me Helen," he pulled out the gun from his belt and cracked her over the head with it, effectively knocking her out cold.

Nikola took a moment to catch his breath before looking at his unconscious beauty, lying semi-in his arms.

"My, you're a frisky one, Helen," he smirked and leant down to gently kiss her forehead. "I'll have to remember that."

He chuckled and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Nikola sat up and removed his white oxford shirt and slipped it on her over the skimpy bikini number she was dressed in, to protect her modesty. He then scooped her up into his arms and quickly made his way out of the room, looking for Ashley.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – We're Safe

Nikola carried Helen quickly and quietly through the maze of the Villa's halls and corridors. He had to find Ashley before he took Helen out of this place, as much as he wanted her safe and sound, she wouldn't take too kindly of him leaving her daughter in the clutches of this madman.

Why he had asked Ashley to help with this mission was beyond him, he certainly could've done it himself. Maybe it was more to satisfy his own curiosity. Then again Helen would need someone to take care of her after she was rescued, someone she could trust.

He couldn't very well leave her at her front doorstep for her minions to look after her, with Ashley in the picture at least Helen would know she'd been rescued by a friend.

Nikola knew he needed to find a place to hide Helen somewhere close to an exit so that he could get Ashley and Helen out of here quickly.

He stopped and looked at Helen when she made a small whimper.

"Shhh," he stroked her hair, before looking to see if the coast was clear.

He booked it down the hallway to the entrance.

He made it into the front foyer but was greeted with Van Hagen and his gang of douche-bag henchmen, and a slightly beaten, but otherwise alive Ashley, her hands zip-tied behind her.

"Very well done, my good man, you proved very cunning, but this is where it stops, give me the woman, she is mine!" spat Van Hagen, his dutch accent as thick as his cigar smoke.

"I doubt she'd agree with that," snarled Nikola.

"Her opinion doesn't matter," scoffed Van Hagen, "She is a woman, to be seen and enjoyed."

Nikola growled audibly.

"Sexism went out with the dark ages, my friend, oh forgive me, I forgot you're dutch," Nikola retorted bitterly.

Van Hagen sneered.

"Insult my people all you want, you are not making it out of here alive," Van Hagen lifted his hand and his men poised their weapons at him.

"Are you so sure about that?" chuckled Nikola, he looked down at Helen, unconscious in his arms. "Fine, you win, I propose a trade off, the woman for the girl."

Van Hagen eyed Ashley.

"Why should I give you the girl?" he laughed.

"Because she's a child, and it's the only way I'll leave peacefully," Nikola said sternly.

"Fine, release her," said Van Hagen and one of the men came up behind Ashley, undoubtedly groped her and cut the zip tie restraining her arms.

She got up and ran over to Nikola, hiding behind him as he lowered Helen to the floor and stepped back, his hands in the air.

Van Hagen nodded to his men to retrieve her.

"When I say now, take your mother and go as fast as you can, get back to the hotel as fast as you can, then call your friends at the Sanctuary…ok?" Nikola whispered to Ashley.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I'll be fine, just get your mother and yourself as far away as you can," he said, his eyes not leaving Helen.

The men walked up to Helen, bending over to reach her arms.

"NOW!" shouted Nikola, and he lunged forward knocking the men off their feet and tossing one into the other men so that Ashley could get away cleanly.

"After them!" cried Van Hagen,

"You'll have to get through me first!" Nikola growled, revealing his blood-black eyes.

Ashley did as Javor instructed and immediately pulled Helen out the door, using all her strength to get her to the end of the drive way. Helen gained a small amount of consciousness, enough to stand staggeringly, Ashley supported her mother's weight and helped her to her feet.

_**~~~~Back in the Villa~~~~**_

Nikola glared through his blood-black eyes at Van Hagen and his team of goons, slowly picking themselves off the floor.

"What are you?" gasped Van Hagen.

Nikola hissed at him, letting his claws grow long and menacing.

"That is something I'll never tell you," snarled Nikola.

"Shoot him!" ordered Van Hagen.

"Yes, shoot me!" laughed Nikola.

The men cocked their guns and pointed it at Nikola, their hands shaking slightly.

"Shoot him!" cried Van Hagen.

A flurry of gunshots and screams wafted from the Villa into the night air, hitting Ashley's ears.

She turned around, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Javor," she breathed, her instinct to run back and get him, but her mother weighing her down reminded her of what was important. She bit her lip and keeped moving till a taxi stopped for her and she pulled her mother in.

Once she was seated in the hub of the taxi, her mother's head resting on her shoulder, she let a small tear escape as she looked out the rear window.

"Hmmm...Ashley?" mumbled Helen.

"It's ok, Mom, we're safe," said Ashley as the cab drove them back to the hotel.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 –

_**~~~~Back at the Hotel~~~~**_

Ashley watched as her mother slept, occasionally taking a damp cloth and wiping her forehead with it.

She was not used to being the one doing the caring, her mother was always the bandaging her wounds, healing her sickness, sitting up with her until the fever broke. Now their roles were reversed.

Ashley had changed out of her dirty clothes and showered, and stolen one of Javor's shirts until hers were done washing, at least thats what she said to herself.

She actually felt comforted by the faint cologne smell deeply embedded into the white cotton fibers. She couldn't figure out why she had grown so attached to this man, maybe it was the fact that he had saved her and looked after her, maybe because he represented something she had often dreamed about as a girl. A swashbuckling, dashing hero, who swoops in to save the princess.

True, ever since she was a little girl she envisioned that her father was a knight in shining armor who had left his queen and his princess to fight in battle. At such a young age that makes more sense than death.

But her father was dead.

Javor was no replacement for that empty spot, as much as she wanted him to be, he must've known that.

Ashley sighed and cuddled up against her mother.

At least she would always be a constant.

She felt something crinkle under her shoulder and she turned her head around to see what it was.

She reached inside the white oxford shirt her mom was wearing, obviously given to her by Javor.

She reached inside the breast pocket and pulled out his photograph.

Her mother's hair was pinned up in a mass of big blonde curls topped with a plumed hat. She was wearing an elegant dress, the height of fashion for women at that time she could only guess, and on her arm was a handsome man, hand gently covering her gloved one. He was clothed in a dapper suit, from head to foot. His lips curled into the slightest of smiles.

Ashley could almost see the moment after this frame was taken.

The man's face leaning in close to peck the woman on the cheek, her gloved hand reaching up to his dark, slick hair and running her fingers through it.

Two lovers on an evening stroll, hand-in-hand…

"_Nikola, you should be in New York, your over 80," laughed Helen as she walked with Nikola across the fair grounds._

"_They think I'm taking up a small residency at a medical clinic, they have my room on hold until they get further word of my return, the Depression is so ghastly, I shouldn't have to sit there through all of it," he joked slightly._

"_What kind of medical clinic?" asked Helen suspiciously._

"_To determine whether I'm fit enough to live on my own, which they will find completely so," smirked Nikola._

"_How you manage to keep this ruse up I do not know," Helen shook her head._

"_A little costuming and pieces of skin colored rubber, I learnt it from an actress," he wiggled his eyebrows._

"_I'm sure you did, she probably taught you all about faking it," Helen said flatly._

"_Oh, Helen, jealousy doesn't suit you," he chuckled and put a finger under her chin. "You know you are the only one for me."_

_Helen rolled her eyes and let out a laugh._

"_And the world thinks you're celibate," she chuckled._

"_Not celibate, just sneaky," he took her hand. "The Depression is not the only reason I came down to see you, I missed you…a lot, it seems like we haven't seen each other since that Worth Affair, back in, oh when was it, 1903-04?"_

"_To tell you the truth I have put it out of my mind," she sighed. "But I'm sure we saw each other after that, it hasn't been that long, I mean I have been affording your lodging since you went broke."_

"_A problem I shall soon fix, I just need to get on top again," Nikola kissed the top of her hand before continuing to walk._

"_Your ideas are brilliant Nikola, it's your people skills that need improving, the only reason Edison and Marconi are so successful is because they know how to make money, you on the other hand want nothing in return, and while honorable, to any company interested in your patents that is a deal breaker," Helen said calmly, as she walked alongside him._

"_Is it wrong to want the world to profit from the ease my inventions give without asking them to give up their life savings," mumbled Nikola. "My mother made a whole assortment of inventions for the women in the village and did not ask for one cent in return, any money she could've made went to the tithe in my fathers church, they were grateful for my mother's charity, more so than anyone who pawned off goods for a price."_

"_They don't see it that way, they see it as a waste of money if they can't profit from that, I'm sorry but not all think like your humble Serbian mother, Nikola," Helen stopped walking and pulled Nikola to look at her. "You are a brilliant scientist, must you have to prove it to everyone."_

"_What are you saying, Helen?" he asked softly._

"_You crave the attention of brilliance, you want the fame and the recognition, but you don't want to ask for anyone's money, but you forget that the world isn't a small little village in Serbia, sometimes you have to take a little to give back," she lifted a hand up to his cheek and stroked it gently. "I know you're a genius, shouldn't that suffice?"_

_He leant more into the palm of her hand._

"_You're too good to me, Helen," he said quietly and Helen let out a small laugh._

"_And you flatter me way too much," she kissed his cheek._

"_Sometimes I wonder…if things had turned out differently…uh, nevermind," he broke eye contact. "Look a photo booth, why not get a picture?"_

"_You have tons of photos from that little camera you made back in Oxford," laughed Helen as he dragged her to the booth._

"_Oh come on, just one, for old times sake," he gave her an adorable face that she couldn't refuse._

"_Alright, just one," she said._

_He went up to the man and handed him a few coins, before taking Helen's hand and pulling her close._

"_Nikola, what are you doing?" she exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder, pulling her back up against his chest._

"_Posing for a picture," he pecked her cheek with a grin as the flash went off…_

Ashley heard a knock at the door, pulling her out of her thoughts and into the present.

She stuffed the picture under the pillow and pulled out her gun, moving to the door, ready, incase it was Van Hagen here to take her mother away from her again.

She opened the door and sprung out, gun poised.

The gun fell straight into the face of Javor Dragoslav.

"Javor?" she gasped dropping the gun.

"Don't you just bring out the welcome wagon! You do know that these doors have peep holes?" he said pointed.

"You're alive!" said Ashley, ignoring his statement.

"Of course, being late is the height of bad form," he smirked at his pun; again Ashley ignored it.

"I heard gun shots, and screaming, I thought for sure they had killed you," Ashley took a step forward, hoping this wasn't a dream.

"Van Hagen won't be bothering you anymore," he said gently. "I have to go now."

"No! You can't go, my mother might still need you…I might still need you, you can't just leave!" Ashley clasped his hand.

"You and your mother have done fine without me up until now, I don't see how that changes," he patted her hand.

"Are you my father?" she asked, holding tighter.

"This is the third time you've asked, the answer has not changed, and I'm sorry for that, but if I were, I would tell you that I would be proud to call you my daughter," he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "And I'm not just saying that because I think you're mother is listening."

He smirked his cheeky grin at her and Ashley wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"It would've been cool to call you my dad," she mumbled into his chest.

"You're just saying that cause I blow things up," he half-chuckled.

"Do you ever shut up?" she sighed.

"Only when I'm dead," he patted her back hesitantly.

He pulled out of the hug.

"I should go now, I can only stand this Hallmark Moment for so long, I'll trust you'll keep your end of the bargain…and…was there a picture in the breast pocket of the shirt your mother is wearing?"

"Um, I'll go check," she turned to her mother and checked the pocket. "No, it must've fallen out, I'm sorry."

He let out a sad sigh.

"I see," he said, almost sadly, it broke Ashley's heart.

"Will you say goodbye?" she gestured to her mother and Javor shook his head.

"No, we're not done yet," he said with a smile.

"So, will I see you again?" she asked.

"Possibly, but you will have forgotten all about me by then," he looked at her sincerely.

"Nonsense," she stated adamantly. He let out a small chuckle.

"Goodbye Ashley Magnus, it was a real…adventure," she stepped up to him and grasped his hand again, not wanting him to leave her with so many unanswered questions.

He smiled kindly and leant down to kiss her forehead.

"I won't give the answers you seek, Ashley," with that he slipped his hand out of her grasp and stole away into the night, just as effortlessly as he had come into her life, he had walked out.

_**~~~~Next Morning~~~~**_

_The little girl ran in the garden, her blonde hair blowing in the breeze, and her small hands spread wide like the wings of a plane. _

_She giggled as she swirled and curved around the maze, laughing in her own delight._

_She heard her name along the wind and dropped her arms, an even bigger smile dawning her face as she recognized the voice calling to her again._

"_Ashley!"_

_The little girl ran to the voice excitedly, exiting the maze, past a massive fountain, to the steps of the large building she called home._

"_Ashley where are you?" came the voice again, dismembered from any figure, like the wind had been calling to her this whole time._

"_I'm here!" she called back._

"_Run into my arms, Ashley!" the voice said back and the girl ran to it._

_She turned a corner and gasped in excitement as she found the owner of the voice._

"_I've found you!" she cried and ran into the figures arms._

_It picked her up and lifted her into the air above it's head, before holding her close in a warm embrace._

"_You've found me," the figure laughed warmly, the light shifted and the figures face, previously overcast by shadows, came into light. _

"_I missed you Mommy..."_

Helen Magnus woke up her head throbbing, and she couldn't remember where she was.

"Mom!" said Ashley, coming to her bedside.

"Ashley? Where are we?" she asked, putting a hand on her head to steady herself.

"You got napped by some rich dude to become his concubine, it's ok, we're safe now," said Ashley putting a hand on her mother's arm.

"Where's Big Guy?" Helen asked, looking around.

"Well…" Ashley averted her gaze.

"You came here alone?" shouted Helen.

"I had some help, an old friend of yours apparently, he's gone now," said Ashley, a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Who? What old friend of mine?" Helen grabbed her arm causing Ashley to look at her.

"He asked me not to tell," Ashley said.

"I don't give a damn what he asked you, tell me who helped you rescue me," ordered Magnus.

"What does it matter? You're safe! We're safe! Jeez mom, take a pill," Ashley crossed her arms defensively. "You were about to become dutch boy's 7th wife! He said he only wanted you safe, he left us the room, and you're even wearing his shirt, if he was a baddie he would've shown signs by now."

Helen let out a small sigh.

"You're right," Helen looked over at her daughter, "You at least called Big Guy right?"

"Of course, he's on his way, private charter and everything, this isn't my first rodeo," Ashley mumbled, getting up to make some tea. "You're welcome by the way!"

Helen laughed and shook her head, taking a breath of fresh air. She stood up and went to the window, admiring the sunset picturesque view.

What had happened? That's what Helen wanted to know, and who was this old friend of hers, she had many, but none would keep their identity from her.

Helen let out a deep breath, she wished she could remember the last week, but it was nothing but a few flashes.

She looked down at the cotton shirt she was wearing, it smelt of vanilla and lavender, a hint of aftershave, and something, vaguely familiar, like the smell of an old book, or of an old sweater abandoned at the back of the closet.

She liked the smell.

"Ok, all we've got is the complimentary bags of Darjeeling the hotel gives out, is that good?" said Ashley as she waltzed in. "Mom, are you ok?"

"Mmm? Oh yes, just thinking about something," she looked at the tea, "Darjeeling's fine, it's better than coffee."

"Say what you want about coffee, Mom, when you've had a three hours sleep on a jet to rural Africa, to chase down a flying monkey-lizard, it's essential," joked Ashley.

"You shouldn't even be drinking it," glared Helen.

"Neither should I have a gun and chase monsters, but guess what?" smirked Ashley.

"Point taken," mumbled Helen as she sat on the sofa and watched Ashley pour the hot water into the mug. "You washed the mugs first right?"

"Yah, I'm not 12," grumbled Ashley.

"Let the tea seep," instructed Helen.

"I know, for at least five minutes," waved off Ashley.

"And re-use the-"

"Tea bags, I know, will you just relax, Mom, we aren't going to have a Darjeeling apocalypse if you don't help," laughed Ashley and Helen smiled softly.

"I'm sorry, I'm just in a spin, my daughter is rescuing me from Dutchmen and making me tea, I guess my mother's instinct is having coping issues," joked Helen.

"Yeah, no kidding," Ashley handed her the mug. "Don't worry, Mom, I'm still your daughter, nothings going to change that."

Helen smiled and sipped the warm tea.

Ashley walked back to the kitchenette and pulled out the folded picture from her jeans pocket.

Why did she lie? Why did she not give him his photo back? Why did she keep it?

She sighed and folded it back into her pocket.

"Hey Mom, I was thinking, the troop isn't going to be here for a few hours, why don't we dawn some cute little bikini numbers and head to beach and catch some sun?"

Helen laughed.

"Well, we are in Puerto Rico, shame to waste it," Ashley smiled and ran up to the couch to hug her mother.

"Awesome, and I was thinking we could go to one of those cute little clothing huts, get souvenirs…"

Helen listened as her daughter excitedly ranted about flip-flops and sunglasses, she knew that something happened in Puerto Rico, 2002, but for once, she will never know, except for the shadow of a memory of a man in a white oxford shirt, standing just out of her peripheral vision, watching over her and her daughter, protectively and longingly.

Like a dream that never can be remembered.


End file.
